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Ref: 70280.02
SWANWORTH QUARRY
PURBECK, DORSET
ARCHAEOLOGICAL WATCHING BRIEF REPORT
By
Wessex Archaeology
Portway House
Old Sarum Park
Salisbury
Wiltshire
SP4 6EB
November 2008
Reference 70280.02
SWANWORTH QUARRY
PURBECK, DORSET
ARCHAEOLOGICAL WATCHING BRIEF REPORT
Contents
Summary ..........................................................................................................ii
Acknowledgements.......................................................................................... iii
1
INTRODUCTION.......................................................................................................................... 1
1.1
1.2
INTRODUCTION ........................................................................................................... 2
FEATURES RECORDED WITHIN THE SITE ....................................................................... 2
FEATURES RECORDED WITHIN SWANWORTH QUARRY .................................................. 2
ARCHAEOLOGICAL SITES IN THE LOCAL AREA ............................................................... 3
PREVIOUS INVESTIGATIONS ......................................................................................... 3
AIMS .............................................................................................................................................. 4
3.1
METHODOLOGY......................................................................................................................... 4
RESULTS...................................................................................................................................... 4
5.1
5.2
5.3
INTRODUCTION ........................................................................................................... 4
STRATIGRAPHIC SEQUENCE ........................................................................................ 5
ARCHAEOLOGICAL FEATURES ...................................................................................... 5
FINDS ............................................................................................................................................ 5
ENVIRONMENTAL...................................................................................................................... 5
CONCLUSION.............................................................................................................................. 5
ARCHIVE ...................................................................................................................................... 6
10
REFERENCES ............................................................................................................................. 6
FIGURES
Figure 1:
SWANWORTH QUARRY
PURBECK, DORSET
ARCHAEOLOGICAL WATCHING BRIEF REPORT
Summary
Wessex Archaeology was commissioned by Tarmac Ltd to conduct an
archaeological watching brief at Swanworth Quarry during the initial stripping
of a c.2 ha area to the north east of the current works. The Site lies
approximately 1km north of Worth Matravers in the Isle of Purbeck, Dorset
and is centred on NGR 497220 078470.
Previous investigations at the Site included a 1.5% evaluation of 32 trenches
carried out in 1995 which uncovered no archaeological features within the
northern parcel of land under consideration in this report. Findspots of
artefacts and features made within the quarry boundaries over the past 70
years, however, maintained a significant archaeological potential which this
fieldwork was designed to monitor.
The c.2 ha site was stripped of topsoil and then subsoil, to the top of the
natural overburden, allowing for archaeological monitoring of each interface.
No archaeological features, deposits or artefacts were revealed.
The fieldwork was carried out between the 22nd of September and the 2nd of
October 2008.
ii
SWANWORTH QUARRY
PURBECK, DORSET
ARCHAEOLOGICAL WATCHING BRIEF REPORT
Acknowledgements
Wessex Archaeology would like to thank of Tarmac Ltd for commissioning the
watching brief. Wessex Archaeology would also like to acknowledge the
assistance of Derek Haden, Manager of Swanworth Quarry, and advice of
Steve Wallis, Dorset County Archaeologist.
The project was managed on behalf of Wessex Archaeology by Paul
McCulloch. The fieldwork was undertaken by Sian Reynolds who also
compiled this report with illustrations prepared by S E James.
iii
SWANWORTH QUARRY
PURBECK, DORSET
ARCHAEOLOGICAL WATCHING BRIEF REPORT
INTRODUCTION
1.1
Project background
1.1.1
1.1.2
1.2
1.2.1
1.2.2
The Site has a significant slope running from 120m above Ordnance
Datum (aOD) in the south-east to 112m aOD in the north-west with a
shallow coombe running north-south from the northern boundary.
1.2.3
ARCHAEOLOGICAL BACKGROUND
2.1
Introduction
2.1.1
2.1.2
2.2
2.2.1
2.3
2.3.1
A Late Bronze Age/Early Iron Age stone lined grain storage pit
containing carbonised spelt was found on the site in 1964 (Calkin
1967) and the remains of a similar pit were seen previously in
1952 (Calkin 1953); the latter containing a Late Bronze Age
bronze razor. A small rectangular stone cist was recorded c.3m to
the west of the 1964 grain pit and to the south east were three
areas of dark earth, one area containing a few bone fragments and
a saddle quern. A Late Bronze Age beaker found in 1958 (Calkin
1968) and a bronze armlet in 1968 (Farrar 1970) were also
recorded from the quarry. Evidence of an Early Iron Age shale
industry manufacturing armlets was recorded on the Late Bronze
Age occupation floor (see above) although not in pits. Early Iron
Age sherds, including fine black ware were also seen
2.3.2
Further evidence for the extent of the Late Bronze Age/Early Iron Age
occupation on the site of the quarry was discovered in 1983.
Archaeological observation during topsoil stripping at the southern end
of the quarry reported the base of a stone lined cist or pit, the vestiges
of a shallow pit, and a linear feature. These features were filled and
associated with occupation remains including a collection of over one
hundred sherds of Late Bronze Age pottery (Cox 1987).
2.4
2.4.1
2.5
Previous Investigations
2.5.1
2.5.2
Between the 3rd and 7th of April 1995 an evaluation of the application
area was carried out. Of the 32 trenches only four contained
archaeological features, all concentrated in the southern portion of the
application area. These features took the form of narrow, shallow
ditches or gullies and were assigned a tentative later prehistoric or
Romano-British date by the excavators (Wessex Archaeology 1995).
2.5.3
Between the 22nd and 31st of May 1996 a watching brief was carried out
during topsoil stripping of part of the southern portion of the Site. Two
sub-circular features and a 16m ditch or gully were observed cutting into
the natural clay, but excavation cast doubts as to their anthropogenic
origin.
2.5.4
AIMS
3.1
Watching Brief
3.1.1
3.1.2
METHODOLOGY
4.1.1
The initial groundworks, namely the stripping of the top- and sub-soils
were carried out under constant archaeological supervision by a suitably
qualified member of Wessex Archaeology staff. Spoil generated by the
works was scanned for artefacts.
4.1.2
The top- and sub-soils were removed separately using a 10 tonne bull
dozer with a 2.5m toothed bucket and stored in a 4m high bund along
the eastern edge of site. The travel of the bull dozer and assisting
dumper truck over the stripped surface largely obscured any in situ
archaeological features, but for a short period of time immediately
following stripping it was possible to confirm the presence or absence of
archaeological features or artefacts and to halt work if necessary.
4.1.3
A digital photographic record of the Site was made charting all aspects
covered by this watching brief.
RESULTS
5.1
Introduction
5.1.1
5.2
Stratigraphic sequence
5.2.1
Owing to the natural slope of the Site the deposit stratigraphy and
subsequently the stripped level varied with a differing thickness of
topsoil and colluvial sub-soils above the natural overburden.
5.2.2
The dark grey brown silty clay loam topsoil was consistent in character
across the Site with an average depth of 0.3m increasing slightly within
the shallow coombe.
5.2.3
Subsoil was only noted within the central coombe and comprised of
colluvial pale yellow brown silty clay with minimal coarse components.
Where present this context extended to a maximum of 0.5m depth,
concentrated in the southern section of the coombe. Following removal
of this layer the coombe was shown to extend much further across Site
than was evident before stripping, occupying most of the north-south
extent from the northern boundary. It possible that this area was
levelled with material removed from earlier quarry working, thus
masking the extent of the coombe.
5.2.4
5.3
Archaeological features
5.3.1
FINDS
6.1.1
ENVIRONMENTAL
7.1.1
CONCLUSION
8.1.1
8.1.2
This confirms the results of the 1995 evaluation and the 1996 watching
brief which suggested a low level of archaeological activity in the
southern portion of the Site which could not be proved to extend to the
north.
8.1.3
ARCHIVE
9.1.1
10
REFERENCES
Calkin J.B. 1949, The Isle of Purbeck in the Iron Age, Proc. Dorset Nat. Hist.
Archaeol. Soc 70 (1948), 30-2
Calkin J.B. 1953, Iron Age Finds at Sheepsleights, Worth Matravers, Proc.
Dorset Nat. Hist. Archaeol. Soc 74 (1952), 50-1
Calkin J.B. 1966, A Grain Pit at Sheepsleights, Worth Matravers, Proc.
Dorset Nat. Hist. Archaeol. Soc 88 (1966), 149-51
Calkin J.B. 1968, A Beaker form Sheepsleights, Worth Matravers, Proc.
Dorset Nat. Hist. Archaeol. Soc 89 (1967), 139-40
Cox P.W. 1987, Archaeological observations near Worth Matravers, Proc.
Dorset Nat. Hist. Archaeol. Soc 108 (1986), 174
Farrar R.A.H. 1970, Some Recent Archaeological Discoveries in Dorset
Worth Matravers, Sheepsleights, Swanworth Quarries, Proc. Dorset Nat. Hist.
Archaeol. Soc 70 (1948), 30-2
Wessex Archaeology, 1995, Swanworth Quarry,
Archaeological Evaluation 1995. Ref 37178.04
Purbeck,
Dorset.
102
103
Description
Topsoil Dark grey brown silty clay loam with 3%
sub-angular/sub-rounded tabular limestone (<0.1m).
Subsoil Colluvial mid brown silty clay with 1% subangular/sub-rounded tabular limestone (<0.05m).
Only present in shallow coombe running north-south
through the centre of site.
Overburden Very mixed deposits of tabular
limestone (<0.2m), fine to medium sand ranging from
white to pale red brown, and pale yellow brown silty
clay.
Depth (m)
0.00-0.30
0.30-0.80
0.30+
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